Tag Archives: automation

Retail giants Target and Sears have both built impressive home automation showcases in San Francisco-area stores to demonstrate and sell smart-home products. There’s only one problem: Sears is unlikely to sell a whole lot of home automation systems there because the selections are too overwhelming for a category that is so confusing. Speaking with CE Pro last month, Ciovacco says he learned from Amazon that these products are really something you have to experience to understand all of the possibilities.Some smart devices like motion-sensor lights may be intuitive, he says, but the power is really the interoperability with other products.

The Internet of Things is everywhere these days, and has become almost unavoidable. Reaction can be a bit mixed, ranking from calling it SkyNet to embracing the technology. It doesn’t always work as planned — I’m reasonably certain that one of my colleagues here could turn off my lights (don’t get any ideas guys).

Now MivaTek aims to fix those problems with new solutions for both home and business. Included are security cameras, water leak sensors and monitoring for disruptions to the alarm system. More importantly, it can keep track of health and send help if needed.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. Thirty five million dollars can buy a lot of home. And home automation. Just ask tech entrepreneur Michael Barnick, whose lavish spread near this coastal city, located about 95 miles north of Los Angles, is featured in a Wall Street Journal article.

As the story describes, Barnick was retired when he started designing the oceanfront residence in 2005. He ended up becoming so involved with the technologies being installed throughout the property that he decided to launch a business called Quantum Integration, which installs home-automation systems.

Suppliers in the DIY home-automation market are an optimistic bunch, if the number of new players and line expansions is any indication. The companies executives must have read the results of a consumer survey commissioned by home-automation platform provider Icontrol Networks. The spring survey found that 50 percent of North American consumers ages 25 and older plan to buy at least one smart-home device in the next year.

Lutrons Caseta Wireless system is a do-it-yourself and do-it-for-me product. The differentiator is the Lutron Smart Bridge, which allows system devices to be controlled via the Lutron app.

The DIY version of the Lutron Smart Bridge is available at retail locations and online and is compatible with such products as Nest thermostats, Logitech Harmony Home remotes, Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostats and others. The Smart Bridge Pro adds additional features like advanced integration capabilities beyond lights, shades and temperature (such as security systems and other A/V products) and can only be purchased through a professional installer channel.

That’s a broad topic for a headline, and one that could fill a book. It dates back much further than people think. Thanks to today’s modern technology and graphics, we don’t need to write that book. It’s all laid out before us in a nice infographic that shows the highlights of what you need to know about how we arrived at things like Harmony, Nest, Philips Hue and more.

Samsung quickly announced a second generation of SmartThings home automation hardware after acquiring the tech for $200 million last year… and then just as quickly delayed their release in March. Fortunately, there’s good news: the new Hub and sensors are just about ready to go and the company says they will go on sale in September. More info is promised in the coming weeks, but interested customers can preorder the $99 Hub from SmartThings or on Amazon to be first in line.

Despite being from the mid-80’s, this is very cool glimpse into the past of home automation. Much of this is very commonly place these days – climate control, lighting control, security system integration, etc. What is really great to see about this system is the user interface, which is integral to any successful home automation system. Back in 1985, touchscreen LCD displays weren’t available, so they used a CRT monitor with a sensors that would track horizontal and vertical position of your finger as it “touched” the monitor, simulating a “press” on the screen. The user interface, while a bit clunky, is very functional and provides quite a lot of features and end-user control. Take a look!

If you haven’t used a Harmony remote then you’re missing out. The device can control almost any object in your home theater. Lately it’s been adding more home automation features as well, and the latest update enhances that aspect of the universal remote.

Windows 10 IoT Core was released this week for use with small devices including the Raspberry PI and to encourage makers to use it there’s a Home Automation contest on Hackster.io. Come up with an idea before August 17 to take part.